Tim Flown in for 'Adventurer of the Year Award' in Sydney! (24/09/06)

Tim Cope will be in partial culture shock when he steps forward in the bustle of Darling Harbour to accept the Australian Geographic Society’s Adventurer of the Year award this morning. He’s just flown in from the southern Ukraine, because he’s still in the middle of his 10,000 km, two-year journey from Mongolia to Hungary by horse, through some of the remotest, most inhospitable places on the planet, with little more than his dog Tigon and a few horses for company.

Tim, 27, has spent the past nine years pursuing his dreams of adventure and exploration. During that time he has studied as an Arctic guide in north Finland and Russia; cycled for 14 months across Russia, Siberia and Mongolia to China and rowed a wooden boat 4200 km through Siberia to the Arctic Ocean.

On 31 May 2004, Tim set out to travel 10,000 km on the trail of Genghis Khan from Mongolia to Hungary by horse. Within a week his horses were stolen. Undeterred, he’s now travelled around 7500 km and will arrive in Hungary for the 800th anniversary celebrations of Genghis Khan’s empire. Although he’s faced temperatures ranging from –52 to 54°C, Tim says adventure is not about conquering the elements but learning about the world by immersing himself in different cultures, landscapes and situations. On this epic journey, he’s researching the heritage and life of the nomads who live on the vast Eurasian steppe.

Tim is a previous recipient of the Australian Geographic Society’s Spirit of Adventure and Young Adventurer of the Year awards. US magazine Outside included Tim as one of the top young 25 explorers/adventurers in the world today.

The 20th Anniversary Australian Geographic Society Awards were presented by adventurer Lincoln Hall at 11am on Sunday 24 September at the Australian National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney.